The Danang Military Command said on June 16 that it had organised a workshop to verify information related to fallen soldiers and potential war graves at Da Sap Cave in Ha Nha Commune.
According to military records, Da Sap Cave served as a strategically important location during the Vietnam War, functioning as a gathering point, shelter and transit site for several main force military units.
The cave was also used by a state food supply unit to store and distribute provisions to troops operating in the area.
On April 25, 1969, opposing forces reportedly detected military activity near the cave. After marking the target with flares, artillery units and F4 fighter aircraft carried out a heavy bombardment.
The attack caused the cave to collapse, sealing its entrances with rocks and debris and trapping numerous logistics personnel and soldiers inside. Many are believed to have died in the incident.
During a field survey conducted on June 5 and 6, authorities discovered a range of wartime artefacts, including rubber sandals, woven sandals, parachute fabric, raincoats, batteries, communications cables, knives, personal wallets, canned food containers, toothbrushes, ammunition and an ammunition cache containing between 18 and 20 rounds of various types.
At what investigators believe was the epicentre of the bombing, the survey team also found a pair of women's woven sandals, additional personal belongings and part of a human tibia measuring approximately 35 to 40 centimetres in length.
The area has been secured and preserved to support further investigation and identification efforts.
Military officials said the June 16 workshop was intended to gather information and testimony from government agencies, military units, historical witnesses, veterans and relatives of fallen soldiers, while assessing the reliability of available records related to Da Sap Cave.
Participants focused on clarifying the location, coordinates and current condition of the site, estimating the number of possible remains, identifying military units that may have been present and determining the identities of any fallen soldiers where sufficient evidence exists.
The findings are expected to provide the scientific and legal basis for future excavation, recovery and repatriation efforts at the site.